2000 VOLVO C70 Complaints

2000 VOLVO C70 CONVERTIBLE HAS NEEDED TWO AIRBAGS REPLACED IN LESS THAN 5000 MILES. THESE ARE NOT ACCIDENT RELATED. VOLVO INFORMS ME THIS IS ORDINARY AND THEY HOLD NO RESPONSIBILITY. I HAVE NEVER HAD A CAR THAT NEEDED AIRBAG REPLACEMENT. TOO BE SUCH A "SAFE" CAR THIS DOESN'T SEEM CORRECT. DO THEY HAVE A RECALL OR MANUFACTURING DEFECT? WHAT CAN BE DONE OTHER THAN PAYING $800.00 EVERY FIVE THOUSAND MILES? CAR HAS 50000 MILES ON IT. *JB

DT: X REF 10142625, 2 REPLACEMENTS, SMCH. THE CONTACT'S WIFE WAS DRIVING ON THE INTERSTATE AND VEHICLE SPEED SLOWED DOWN TO ALMOST NO SPEED . SHE WAS ABLE TO GET THE VEHICLE OFF THE RAMP. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO VOLVO DEALERSHIP IN JUNE 2005 TO BE CHECKED. HE WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THE THROTTLE BODY NEEDED TO BE CLEANED. THE VEHICLE RAN FINE UNTIL SEPTEMBER, 22,005. THE VEHICLE WAS TAKEN TO A VOLVO MECHANIC, AND THE THROTTLE BODY WAS REPLACED . THE VEHICLE WAS UNDER WARRANTY AT THAT TIME .THEN, ON NOVEMBER 12, 2005 THE CONTACT WAS PULLING OUT OF A PARKING PLACE AND THE THROTTLE BODY FAILED AGAIN. THIS, IN TURN, ALMOST CAUSED A SERIOUS ACCIDENT. ON NOVEMBER 14, 2005 HE TOOK THE CAR BACK TO THE MECHANIC, AND HE WAS TOLD THAT THE THROTTLE BODY THAT WAS REPLACED IN SEPTEMBER 2005 WAS DEFECTIVE FROM VOLVO. THE VEHICLE IS NOW AT A REPAIR SHOP HAVING THE THROTTLE BODY REPLACED AGAIN. THE VEHICLE IS NO LONGER UNDER WARRANTY.*AK UPDATED 12/22/2005. *NM

2000 VOLVO C70 WHILE DRIVING AT 40-45 MPH, THE ETS LIGHT ILLUMINATED ON THE DASH AND THE VEHICLE LOST POWER. THE ENGINE CONTINUED RUNNING, BUT WAS SIGNIFICANTLY MISSING AND PROVIDED NO POWER. HAD TO ENGAGE EMERGENCY FLASHERS AND COAST OUT OF TRAFFIC. AFTER TURNING CAR OFF AND RESTARTING, THE PROBLEM WENT AWAY. THE CAR WAS FINE FOR THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY, DRIVING ~100 MILES. *JB

THE CAR SUDDENLY LOST POWER AND DECELERATED WHEN PASSING ANOTHER VEHICLE. IT BEGAN TO HAPPEN THE REST OF THE WAY HOME WITH THE RPMS FLUCTUATING. THE DEALER REPORTED THE ISSUE AS A BROKEN THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE. THIS IS UNSAFE AND HAPPENED AT 69K MILES. *NM

FAILURE OF ENGINE THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE (ETM) IN MY 2000 VOLVO C70 COUPE. FAILURE RESULTED IN SUDDEN LOSS OF SPEED AND STEERING ASSIST WHEN DRIVING, AS WELL AS, SUDDEN AND COMPLETE STALL WITHOUT WARNING. THIS HAPPENED TWICE, 10/20/05 (ETS LIGHT DID NOT REMAIN ON AFTER SWITCHING THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN--SEE COMMENT BELOW) AND 10/22/05. CAR WAS TAKEN INTO VOLVO SPECIALIST REPAIR SHOP FOR REPAIR (REPAIR COST IS APPROXIMATELY $1000). REPAIR SHOP ADVISED THAT THIS WAS A COMMON PROBLEM WITH 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS AS THIS WAS THE FIRST 2 YEARS THAT VOLVO HAD GONE TO AN ETM, AND IT "JUST WASN'T RIGHT". I HAVE BEEN ADVISED THAT PRIOR TO THE INTRODUCTION OF THE ETM, WHEN A CABLE WAS USED FROM THE GAS PEDAL TO THE THROTTLE, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL ADVISED THAT THE THROTTLE SHOULD BE CLEANED AS PART OF REGULAR SERVICING OF A VEHICLE. HOWEVER, THE VOLVO SERVICE MANUAL DOES NOT INDICATE THAT THE ETM BE CLEANED AS PART OF SERVICING. LUCKILY, NO ONE WAS FOLLOWING CLOSELY WHEN I HAD THE ETM FAILURES; OTHERWISE, I WOULD HAVE BEEN REAR-ENDED. THIS WAS ESPECIALLY DISCONCERTING ON THE SECOND FAILURE AS MY 15-YEAR OLD SON WAS DRIVING WHEN THE FAILURE OCCURRED. PLEASE NOTE THAT THE VOLVO OWNER'S MANUAL ADVISES THAT IF THE ETS LIGHT COMES ON, "...THERE IS A FAULT IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM AND DRIVEABILITY WILL BE AFFECTED. SWITCH THE IGNITION OFF AND THEN ON AGAIN. IF THE LIGHT REMAINS ON, THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE INSPECTED BY AN AUTHORIZED VOLVO RETAILER." WHAT THEY DON'T TELL YOU IS THAT IT SHOULD BE TAKEN IN REGARDLESS (I.E., WHETHER OR NOT THE LIGHT REMAINS ON), AS IT IS DANGEROUS TO DRIVE IF A FAULT HAS OCCURRED IN THE ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM. THE PROBLEMS WITH THE ETM ARE AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPENED, AND THE NHTSA SHOULD ISSUE A RECALL OF THIS PART ON ALL 1999 AND 2000 VOLVOS. ANY RELUCTANCE OF VOLVO TO AGREE TO THIS POST HASTE WOULD BE POOR CORPORATE STEWARDSHIP ON BEHALF OF FORD MOTOR COMPANY, THE OWNER OF VOLVO CARS. *JB

DT: THE CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE PROBLEM ON HIS 2000 VOLVO C70. THE VEHICLE HESITATED/ STALLED AND LOST POWER WHILE DRIVING BETWEEN 50-70 MPH. THE CONSUMER TOOK THE VEHICLE TO DEALER. THEY PLACED THE VEHICLE ON A DIAGNOSTIC MACHINE AND DISCOVERED THAT THROTTLE CONTROL MODULE FAILED. REPAIRS WOULD COST THE CONSUMER ABOUT $1000.00. *AK *JB

WE SOLD VEHICLE TO RETAIL CUSTOMER ON JULY 23, 2005. CUSTOMER COMPLAINED SOON AFTER THAT THEY EXPERIENCE LOSS OF POWER AT TIMES. WE THEN HAD THE VEHICLE SERVICED AT BOBBY RAHAL VOLVO ON 08/11/05 AND THEY REPLACED THE ETM MODULE. *JB

2000 VOLVO C70 06/28/03. CROSS COUNTRY TRIP FROM AZ TO MN. COMPLETE LOSS OF POWER AT HIGHWAY SPEED- 1ST THROUGH NARROW CANYON WITH LOSS OF BRAKING POWER AND STEERING CONTROL RESULTING IN DANGEROUS EMERGENCY STOP. I CONTACTED VOLVO 24HR ASSISTANCE- VOLVO TECH ADVISED ME HOW TO RESET VEHICLE COMPUTER (TURNING DOOR LOCK CYLINDER 3 TIMES). FAILURE RECURRED THROUGHOUT JOURNEY HOME (REMAINING OCCURRENCES WERE ANTICIPATED AND I WAS ABLE TO EXECUTE CONTROLLED STOP). THROTTLE BODY REPLACED BY VOLVO ON 06/30/05 AT A COST OF $896.76. I AM AWARE FROM A RECENT NEWS ARTICLE THAT THERE ARE SEVERAL COMPLAINTS REGARDING THIS TYPE OF FAILURE IN THIS MODEL VOLVO. I HAVE RETAINED VOLVO REPAIR ORDER FROM INCIDENT. *JB

(1) ENGINE DEGRADED PERFORMANCE...FELT LIKE ENGINE WAS 'MISSING' AND RPM'S SURGED. (2) ENGINE COMPLETELY STOPPED IN HEAVY MORNING RUSH HOUR TRAFFIC. (3) ELECTRONIC THROTTLE SENSOR FAILED AND WAS REPLACED BY STILLMAN VOLVO. OLD PART UNAVAILABLE BY US. PERHAPS VOLVO MAY HAVE IT. INCIDENT DATE IS A ROUGH ESTIMATE AS I DO NOT HAVE THE RECEIPT HERE AT WORK. *JB

WHILE GOING APPROXIMATELY 60 MPH THE ETS (ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL SYSTEM LIGHT ON THE DASHBOARD WENT ON, THE CRUISE CONTROL SYSTEM WENT OFF AND THE CAR STARTED LOSING POWER. I WAS ABLE TO REACH HOME (APPROXIMATELY 200 MILES, BUT THE CAR'S PERFORMANCE WAS SERIOUSLY COMPROMISED. THE NEXT DAY THE LIGHT WAS OFF, BUT THE FOLLOWING WEEKEND IT WENT BACK ON WITH SIMILAR RESULTS. BROUGHT IT INTO VOLVO DEALER WHO REPLACED THE ENTIRE ETS SYSTEM COSTING ME $975. *NM